Psalms 44
1 For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. A contemplative psalm. We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us what work you did in their days, in the days of old.
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old.
2 You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.
With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out.
3 For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.
For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
4 God, you are my King. Command victories for Jacob!
You are my King, O God, who ordains victories for Jacob.
5 Through you, we will push down our adversaries. Through your name, we will tread down those who rise up against us.
Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither will my sword save me.
For I do not trust in my bow, nor does my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our adversaries, and have shamed those who hate us.
For You save us from our enemies; You put those who hate us to shame.
8 In God we have made our boast all day long. We will give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)
In God we have boasted all day long, and Your name we will praise forever.
9 But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies.
But You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go forth with our armies.
10 You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.
You have made us retreat from the foe, and those who hate us have plundered us.
11 You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.
You have given us up as sheep to be devoured; You have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.
You sell Your people for nothing; no profit do You gain from their sale.
13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us.
14 You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,
All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face,
16 at the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.
at the voice of the scorner and reviler, because of the enemy, bent on revenge.
17 All this has come on us, yet we haven’t forgotten you. We haven’t been false to your covenant.
All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or betrayed Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,
Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from Your path.
19 though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals; You have covered us with deepest darkness.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god,
If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.
would not God have discovered, since He knows the secrets of the heart?
22 Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.
Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.
Wake up, O Lord! Why are You sleeping? Arise! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?
Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.
For our soul has sunk to the dust; our bodies cling to the earth.
26 Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.
Rise up; be our help! Redeem us on account of Your loving devotion.
